Ohio University’s meningitis awareness campaign is in full swing, and administrators hope the advertisements will educate students about warnings signs of the dangerous disease.
“What we talked a lot about is wanting to do something that is going to resonate more with students,” said Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi. “… We got some feedback from students who really liked (the posters) and thought they would draw some attention.”
Posters in residence halls and Baker University Center mimic the Facebook page of a fictitious student, “Kate Astrophee,” who died of meningitis because shedid not recognize symptoms of the disease in time.
One state update on the mock Facebook page read, “Feels like the flu — or worst hangover ever!,” and another described her symptoms. After a post from “Kate” about going to O’Bleness — OU’s recommended course of action for anyone experiencing symptoms of meningitis — one of her friends posted, “Kate, you left us too soon. … Please everyone, take meningitis seriously!”
The poster also warns students about getting to an emergency room as soon as they notice meningitis symptoms, which include high fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, discomfort looking into bright lights, confusion and sleepiness. Meningitis is spread through bodily fluids.
“I saw the Facebook page (poster). I think it’s effective because if you don’t tell anyone about it, you could die,” said Tyler Charles, a senior studying journalism. “People need to know it’s a serious condition.”
The posters, which were put up before students returned for Spring Quarter, are the final phase of the campaign that began last quarter. The Dean of Students’ office and the Communications and Marketing department developed the campaign and began by uploading videos, featuring health professionals and students who have had the disease, to OU’s website.
“We wanted to keep something fresh coming out every couple of weeks,” Lombardi said. “… We kept putting new information in front of students, which is what we wanted to achieve … It’s a good step forward.”
Last winter, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared OU’s string of bacterial meningitis cases an outbreak. Since 2009, eight students have contracted the Type B strain of the disease, which the meningitis vaccine does not prevent.
OU freshman Andrea Robinson died of Type B bacterial meningitis last February and her father is now suing Campus Care, formerly Hudson Health Center, for medical negligence. OU has denied any wrongdoing.
Although CDC did not identify any specific cause of the outbreak, representatives told OU that students should refrain from high-risk behavior, which includes smoking, drinking, not getting enough sleep, sharing drinking glasses and having multiple sexual partners.
pe219007@ohiou.edu
@ThePostCampus
